All I Need
by Dracoisbeast
Summary: It's 1978. Just like every year before, the seventh year students are preoccupied with shaping their future after Hogwarts. Marlene McKinnon and Sirius Black are surprised to find themselves asking, "Should love be thrown into the mix?" Blackinnon with some Jily, rated M to be safe
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: the world of Harry Potter is rightfully owned by J.K. Rowling

The McKinnons were one of the wealthiest and most well-known families in the wizarding world. First, there was Alec McKinnon- owner of the Puddlemere United Quidditch team. Years ago, he played Chaser for the team until a knee injury forced him to quit. He was married to Castula McKinnon, a famous fashion designer, whose expensive and tasteful dress robes were always given the highest reviews by Witch Weekly. The iconic duo had two children: Marlene and Maxwell. To see the entire McKinnon family in such a common place like King's Cross station was often seen and treated as a big deal.

Typically, the first day of school is adored by the students of Hogwarts. For Marlene McKinnon, however, it was dreaded. So when she woke up on the first of September, she heaved a heavy sigh and stared at the cornflower blue walls of her bedroom, thinking. She wondered if she should be excited or sad, being that she was about to enter her final year at Hogwarts. She thought about the people who would stare at her when she boarded the train, the flashes of the cameras that her family would encounter. Anxiety bit at her stomach.

Reluctantly, Marlene threw back her bedsheets and trudged towards the French doors that led to the rest of the McKinnons' estate. She didn't bother to put on a robe or slippers, although she was sure her mother would prefer her fully dressed for the family breakfast.

She continued down the long hallway and the great staircase. Reaching the doors to the dining room, she was pleasantly surprised to find both of her parents at the table. Normally, only one of her parents was able to take time off of work to see her off to Hogwarts.

Mr. McKinnon was wearing a crisp business suit and had his greying brown hair neatly combed. His fading freckles, strong jaw, and broad shoulders were all clues that he was once extremely handsome. Marlene had an athletic build, like his. Her father had his face buried in the sports section of the Daily Prophet.

Her mother was chiding Maxwell for spilling jam down the front of his shirt. Mrs. McKinnon wore a simple yet striking black dress, which was as dark as her sleek hair, currently being worn in a low bun. She actually dyed her hair this color in order to have "a dramatic aesthetic", as she called it. Her real hair color was the same honeyed blonde as Marlene's. She was very skinny and had intimidatingly sharp features. As usual, her face was accented with perfectly-applied makeup. Although Marlene had Castula's natural hair color and gunmetal blue eyes, they didn't have many other physical traits in common.

Marlene stood in the doorway for a moment, then realized that neither her father nor her mother knew of her presence. She cleared her throat and watched both of her parents look at her with surprise.

Her mother was the first to get up. She glided over to Marlene and embraced her. "Oh, sweetheart, it's your last year of school!" Mrs. McKinnon exclaimed, kissing the top of her head. Mrs. McKinnon was a full head taller than her daughter. She let go, leaving her hands on Marlene's shoulders. The fashion designer gave Marlene the one-over, obviously disappointed that her daughter was wearing pajamas for the family breakfast. She quickly smiled, "You're practically a young woman."

Marlene mumbled something in response, but the smell of buttered toast drew her to the table.

"There's our Seventh year!" Mr. McKinnon beamed at Marlene when sat down. He ruffled her already-messy hair. "Cassie, look at her. Doesn't it feel like just yesterday we were watching her ride a broomstick for the first time?"

Mrs. McKinnon dabbed at the insides of her eyes with her serviette. "Stop it, Al, I don't want to have to redo my makeup," she scolded.

Mr. McKinnon chuckled and returned to his newspaper.

Marlene grabbed a piece of toast. A server asked her if she would care for a cup of tea and she gave a half-hearted nod. She wasn't feeling especially hungry. Maxwell, however, was stuffing his face with oatmeal. Mrs. McKinnon was looking at him distastefully and asked him if he would please taste his food before swallowing it.

"Honestly, Max," she scorned. "You're ten years old and I'm not yet sure if you're able to use a fork and a knife at the same time."

"Leave him be, Cas," Mr. McKinnon. "I was messy at his age, too."

Mrs. McKinnon huffed and waved a server over. She mumbled something in his ear, her eyes flicking to Marlene for a split second. He nodded and gave a soft, "Yes, ma'am," then left the dining room. Mrs. McKinnon went back to sipping her tea as if nothing had occurred.

"Hey, Marlene, can I have your room after you leave Hogwarts?" Maxwell pestered.

"No, quit asking me," Marlene grumbled. "You've been after it all summer."

"Well, I just thought since it's your last year and all-"

"I said no, you overgrown garden gnome!"

"I'll have none of that bickering at my table, thank you!" Mrs. McKinnon said firmly.

The server who had spoken to Mrs. McKinnon earlier had returned with a small, wrapped box on a silver platter. He presented it to Mrs. McKinnon, who thanked him. She looked at Mr. McKinnon expectantly, who had his face hidden behind the newspaper. "Alec," she said, nodding to the parcel in her palm.

"Ah! Right," he said, laying the Daily Prophet on the table. "Marlene, your mother and I have gotten you a… um…"

"A gift for your final year at Hogwarts," Mrs. McKinnon cut in. "It's just to show you how proud we are of you." She handed her daughter the box.

"Wow. Um, thanks," Marlene said, tugging on the ribbon. She tore off the paper and found that it was from a jeweler. She carefully opened it to reveal-

"A necklace?" Maxwell snorted. "That's lame."

"It's lovely," Marlene whispered. It was. Marlene had received plenty of jewelry in the past, but nothing like this. A small, light blue, teardrop-shaped gemstone hung from a delicate silver chain. Obviously top-of-the-line; Mrs. McKinnon wouldn't settle for anything else. Simple, yet beautiful. Marlene found it captivating.

"Aquamarine," her mother said with a small smile. "Your birthstone."

Marlene closed the lid of the box and set it in her lap. She smiled at her parents. "I love it. Thank you."

"Where's my present? Huh, Mum?" Maxwell asked, frowning.

"Maybe you'll get something when you learn how to not spill food on yourself during mealtimes," Mrs. McKinnon said smoothly. Mr. McKinnon stifled his laughter.

Marlene was still smiling and she looked at each one of her family members' faces. Her last first day of term breakfast. Her last time starting Hogwarts. She would miss them. Marlene realized that after this year, nothing would stay the same for the McKinnons.

Just an hour later, the family was fully dressed and departing. House staff carried Marlene's trunk down the stairs while the McKinnons exited the mansion and loaded themselves into a shiny, black Rolls-Royce with facing back seats. Marlene's belongings were loaded into the trunk and the family's chauffeur, Clyde, congratulated Marlene on her reaching her final year of school. Then, they were off.

There wasn't much conversation during the ride. Mr. McKinnon wrote some business letters, Mrs. McKinnon sketched in a notepad, Maxwell rifled through Quidditch Illustrated, and Marlene stared out the window. She watched the scenic countryside slowly turn more and more urban.

"Abraxas sent me a letter the other day, Dear," Mr. McKinnon said absentmindedly. "He mentioned that Lucius was promoted to Junior Assistant to the Minister of Magic."

"Good for him," Mrs. McKinnon remarked, not looking up from her sketch. "He seems like such a respectable young man."

"I agree. That Lucius Malfoy is going places."

Marlene could have sworn that she saw her father glance at her out of the corner of her eye.

They finally arrived at the station. Clyde pulled up next to it and got out of the car. He loaded Marlene's belongings onto a luggage trolley and opened the door for the family. Mr. McKinnon told Clyde that they wouldn't be long and to please remain in the same spot for their return.

Mrs. McKinnon took Marlene's hand and gave it a quick squeeze. Her father took ahold of he trolley and the family walked into the station, straight toward Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. When they reached the barrier, Marlene took the trolley from her father- here came the worst part. Without looking at her parents, who were prepared to follow her lead, she took a deep breath and began to run.

When Marlene appeared on the other side of the barrier, she only had to wait a couple of seconds until her family appeared by her side. They began walking to the Hogwarts Express just as soon as the cameras started to flash. Reporters and photographers asked the family to pose for them and answer their questions, but the McKinnons fought their way to the train. Marlene wondered how her parents would survive another seven years of this with Maxwell. She could barely handle her own seven years.

Because there were so many people around, Marlene's farewell to her family was limited. A brief kiss from each parent, a quick wave, and she was hurriedly forced onto the train.

She found an empty compartment for herself and her friends, knowing that she was the first of them to arrive. Marlene put away her luggage and collapsed on the seat, releasing a long sigh. Like every year before, she found herself sad that her family was not able to stay long enough to see the Hogwarts Express pull out of the station. She peered out the window and spotted her parents and Maxwell pushing through the crowd of photographers. Then, they were gone.

And Marlene was alone.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Character POV will alternate every chapter, so Sirius will be next. This is my first ever published fic, so any and all respectful comments/reviews are greatly appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: the world of Harry Potter rightfully belongs to J.K. Rowling**

Sirius Black was not a morning person. So when he woke up on the first of September, he groaned, flipped himself onto his stomach, and reached for a pillow to smash over his head. He blindly patted around himself for one, but found that there was nothing there. Sirius cracked open his eyes and realized that he had fallen asleep backwards on the bed. He pushed himself into a sitting position and rubbed his temples, allowing his long, raven black hair to spill in front of his dark eyes.

Sirius looked around the small bedroom for James Potter, then spotted him. He was still fast asleep in an upright position, leaning against the corner bookshelf, glasses askew. Both boys had dozed off mid-packing last night. Sirius smirked and threw the nearest thing- a shoe- at his slumbering friend, which promptly hit him in the shoulder.

James jolted awake and hit his head on the bookcase. "Merlin, Padfoot," he said, rubbing his head. "A simple 'wake up' would suffice."

"Wake up, then. We have to finish packing our trunks."

"Did you make me coffee?" James asked with a crooked grin. He readjusted his crooked spectacles.

Sirius laughed. "Not on your life. What time is it, anyway?"

James checked his watch and his hazel eyes widened. "Oh, shit! We were supposed to have left ten minutes ago!"

Sirius jumped out of bed and cursed. "We're gonna miss the train!"

"Just shove anything you see in your trunk, doesn't matter whose it is," James said, already getting to work. "We'll just sort everything out at Hogwarts."

Because it took another ten minutes to finish packing, they were a grand total of twenty minutes behind schedule. Soon enough, the boys were lugging their trunks down James' stairs and toward the garage. "Dad told me I could take the car; he'll just pick it up later at the station," James said, struggling with his belongings. He snatched a ring of keys hanging on a hook by the back door and fumbled with them until he was holding the key that belonged to the Potters' family car. Sirius threw on his leather jacket, which had been discarded on a nearby chair.

"Our wands!" Sirius exclaimed, slapping his palm to his forehead. "I'll go get them- meet you in the garage."

He dropped his trunk and took the stairs two-at-a-time. Sirius slammed open the bedroom door and dug around the mess they had left until he was holding an both his (twelve and a half inch supple ivy with a unicorn hair core) and James'(eleven inch pliable mahogany with a dragon heartstring core) wands. Pocketing them, he was about to leave when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. Sirius spun around and saw, poking out from underneath James' pillow, a photograph. As he drew nearer to it, he found that it was a picture of Lily Evans. Grinning maliciously, Sirius had no idea how James had managed to get it, but he knew that this bit of information would come in handy in the near future. He pocketed it.

Sirius sprinted out of the bedroom, down the staircase, grabbed his trunk, and ran into the garage where James had just popped open the trunk of the '68 Ford Galaxie.

"Hey, watch the broomstick!" James yelped as Sirius tossed his trunk in the car.

"We have bigger things to worry about than your damn broomstick, Prongs." Sirius snapped, looking at a clock on the wall. He tossed James his wand, "Let's go."

They hopped into the Ford and James gunned the engine. The stereo began to blare The Guess Who as they shot out of the garage like a rocket. Then, they were on their way to King's Cross. Fortunately, the Potters didn't live too far away from the station- James just needed to drive quickly in order to make the Hogwarts Express.

"When did you learn how to drive?" Sirius shouted over "American Woman".

"A couple summers ago," James responded. "My dad decided it would be a good skill to learn, especially since it's the main mode of Muggle transportation. Given our current situation, I'd say he was right!"

James turned onto Upper St. and changed lanes without the use of a blinker, causing the car behind him to honk its horn. He was going twenty miles over the speed limit. Sirius wondered what his own parents would say if they saw him now. He imagined a look on his mother's of utter revoltion and laughed to himself.

In short time, James screeched to a halt outside of King's Cross, cutting off ABBA's "Dancing Queen" in the middle of the chorus. "We're gotta have to book it," he said, glancing at his wristwatch.

The two Marauders grabbed a couple of luggage trolleys and weaved their way through the crowds of people in the busy train station. Sirius almost ran over a reporter and a photographer who seemed to be from the Daily Prophet. "Sorry!" he yelled back at the photographer, who was shaking his fist.

James and Sirius darted into platform nine and three-quarters just as the Hogwarts Express was blowing its last warning whistle. They snagged their belongings and hopped on the train, then took a moment to catch their breath.

"We made it," James gasped.

"Thanks to your wonderful driving," Sirius added, giving his friend a high-five.

"C'mon," James nodded down the aisle. "Let's find Moony and Wormtail."

The Hogwarts Express blew its final whistle and the train lurched forward. They were officially on their way to their last year at Hogwarts. James and Sirius ambled along, peering into compartments as they passed them. Finally, the two found Remus and Peter sitting alone in a compartment near the end on the train. Sirius busted open the compartment door and they stumbled into it, dropping their trunks in the middle of the floor.

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Well, well, well. Look who decided to show up for school."

Peter snickered. "We thought you would miss the train!"

"Nah, I have too many detentions to look forward to," Sirius winked, making Remus roll his eyes.

They all exchanged warm greetings. "All the Marauders together again for one last year," James said, sighing. "Just the thought of it tugs at my heartstrings. Ah, me! Ah, my! Now, help us put away these trunks. And for the love of Circe, watch the broomstick!"

After the four did so, James and Sirius collapsed on seats across from each other and released a collective sigh.

"Thank Merlin my dad put a charm on our car to throw off Muggle police," James remarked. "or we would've missed the train for sure."

"I'd wondered how we weren't pulled over," Sirius laughed. "Your father is one smart man."

"You two drove here by yourselves?" Peter asked in awe. "In a Muggle vehicle?"

"We did, indeed," James said smugly. "And we made it in one piece, too, didn't we!"

"Your parents didn't see you off?" Remus asked.

James shrugged. "Dad had to work, Mum is visiting her sister in France. Dad was home last night, though. He said his goodbyes then."

"Hey, Moony," said Sirius, elbowing the boy in the ribs. "Did your mother weep for joy when you were mailed your Head Boy badge?"

Smiling, Remus rubbed his side and crossed his legs. "For your information, Padfoot, I was, in fact, not named Head Boy this year."

Sirius was shocked. "What? But you were a prefect for two years in a row! Who else could it have been?!"

Remus shrugged. "That, I have no idea. It could be Frank Longbottom- you know, the Hufflepuff. He was twice a prefect, too."

Peter shook his head. "I can't believe it's not you, Moony. I thought you were a shoo-in. Do you know who it is, Prongs?"

James laughed nervously and ruffled his dark hair. "Actually, about that-"

He was interrupted when their compartment door flew open. Lily Evans strode in; her auburn hair as intense as her aura. She pursed her lips, looking from Marauder to Marauder, until her bright green eyes landed on Remus. Her freckled face broke out into a grin. "Hey, Remus! Are you ready for the meeting?" she asked. The "Head Girl" badge on her chest gleamed as if it had recently been polished. Sirius reckoned it had been.

Remus gave her a friendly smile. "Hullo, Lily. And I'm terribly sorry I'm afraid I wasn't chosen to be Head Boy this year."

Lily's smile faltered. "What? Then... then who was?"

James cleared his throat and slowly stood up. "Er… I was."

The entire compartment fell deafeningly quiet. Everybody just stared at James. Sirius found himself at a loss for words, which was a rarity. Then, Lily burst out laughing. "Right, good one, Potter. Anyway, I'd better find Frank, or-"

"I'm serious," James said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a badge identical to Lily's. "Here's my proof."

Lily snatched the silver object out of his hand and squinted her eyes, inspecting it. She turned it over, looking for flaws. "This is a joke. You're joking. You- you're always fooling around..."

James shook his head and reached into his pocket again. "Not this time, Evans. I have a letter, too." He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, smoothed it out, and began to read,

 _Dear Mr. James Henry Potter, I am extremely pleased to inform you that you have been chosen as Head Boy of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This decision has been made on account of your academic achievements, your outstanding reputation as a student, and your hard-working personality. Your duties include leading and assigning tasks to the house prefects, assisting the Headmaster when needed, and leading the student body by example. The Heads are also to patrol a section of the school every night. On September 1, you and the Head Girl are to lead a meeting in the prefect carriage on the Hogwarts Express in order to discuss patrol-scheduling. In the case that you are not able to commit to this position, you are advised to contact me via owl before August 20. Congratulations, and have a pleasant remainder of your summer. Sincerely, Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

James stopped reading and met Lily's eyes. He tapped the signature on the letter and handed it to her. "Signed by the man himself."

Sirius watched Lily take the letter and silently read it over again, then once more. She looked at James, then at the rest of the Marauders. Her eyes were begging for an explanation, but the other boys were just as shocked as she was. "Didn't any of you know about this?" Lily asked, exasperated.

Sirius was dumbfounded. "I never knew, and I live with him," he said. Wait, did he feel... hurt?

Even Remus was surprised. "Well," he finally said to James, "I guess I offer you my congratulations."

James nodded at him. He glanced at Sirius, opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but turned to Lily instead. "Don't we have a meeting to go to, Evans?"

Lily scowled at him and shoved his letter and his badge back into his hands. "Fine. But leave the talking to me." She turned on her heel and left the compartment, her hair flying behind her.

James turned back to his friends and grinned. "This is it, boys, this is the year! The year that Lily Evans will fall in love with me! I can feel it!" He slid the door shut and sauntered after an incredibly frigid Head Girl.

Remus chuckled. "He says that every year."

"And every year she finds more reasons to hate him," Sirius added with a smile.

"I think he'll do it," Peter said, his voice a little louder than a whisper. "I think he'll win her over this year."

Sirius leaned across the seats and clapped the smallest Marauder on his shoulder. "Oh, Wormy. You know what, I've missed you. You've always been the optimistic one.

"Now," Sirius began, rubbing his hands together. "Start telling me about your summers, both of you. I need to know about every party, every girl, and every- OUCH! I was joking, Moony, just joking! I swear!"

 **A/N: Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: the world of Harry Potter rightfully belongs to J.K. Rowling**

Marlene was playing a game of Exploding Snap with Alice Cooper in their train compartment. She was just about to play a card when Lily Evans angrily returned to their compartment after the Prefect meeting.

"What's got you?" Alice asked, setting down her playing cards. The game was obviously finished, and Marlene wasn't pleased about it. A few more hands, and she might have been ahead. She, too, slowly set down her cards.

Lily sat down with a huff. "I don't understand. I'm a good person! Why do bad things happen to me?"

Marlene frowned, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"James Potter is Head Boy!" Lily cried, burying her head in her hands.

Marlene threw a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. "James Potter? Are you kidding?"

"Does it look like I'm kidding? I don't know what Dumbledore was thinking," Lily complained. "Potter's never even been a Prefect!"

"I'm surprised it wasn't Remus," said Alice thoughtfully. "When Frank told me he wasn't Head Boy, we were both certain it had to be Remus."

"I wish it had been! Frank, too," Lily sighed. "Anyone would be better. Ah, Merlin... I guess I'll suffer through somehow."

Marlene smirked. "That's the spirit."

"You know, he's not that bad of a guy," Alice told her distressed friend. "He just likes attention."

Lily shrugged, unconvinced.

Marlene wanted to defend James, but she didn't think she would be able to do any good. The Potters had been close friends with the McKinnons for as long as Marlene could remember. She and James had been together since their diaper days. Although they had drifted apart some since entering Hogwarts, the two had always remained loyal to each other.

Marlene blew a strand of blonde hair out of her face. She rose from her seat and stretched her back. "I'm off to find the food trolley. Any requests?"

Her friends shook their heads, so she left the carriage. She slid the door shut, turned, and began to sprint down the corridor. But before she had even taken two steps, she barreled into a tall figure in front of her. Marlene flew backwards, landing right on her arse.

"Sorry, McKinnon," the figure said, extending a hand. She accepted it, embarrassed, and looked at the person she had just run into. Sirius Black towered over her, his raven-black hair tumbling into his face.

"Thanks," Marlene muttered, getting helped to her feet. She brushed herself off. "I'll try not to do that again."

Sirius smirked. "Where are you off to?" he asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket.

Marlene narrowed her eyes and gave Sirius the one-over, studying him. In the past six years at Hogwarts, Sirius had never spoken to Marlene unless he was asking for an extra quill or something. She was around him often enough- they had classes together, they were in the same house- but Marlene had never really had a conversation with him."I'm off to find some food," she said carefully.

Sirius grinned widely. "Brilliant, I'm starved. Mind if I come along?"

Marlene shrugged, not caring. She began walking down the train, Sirius following alongside her.

There was a brief silence before Sirius picked up a conversation. "How was your summer?"

"Uneventful. Yours?"

"Eh, better than most," Sirius said. "Living with Prongs has its ups and downs."

Marlene recalled Sirius abandoning his home the summer before their Sixth Year. Rumours, of course, had followed. She had heard plenty of them, ranging from Sirius getting disowned on account of what Hogwarts house he had ended up being in, to Sirius living with James due to the fact that they were secretly gay lovers. Marlene almost asked Sirius right then and there why he was living with James, then thought better of it. Instead, she asked him why he was following her.

Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his long hair. "I needed to get away from James for a while. He wouldn't stop talking about Lily and how he gets to spend 'practically all year with her'. His words, not mine. When Prongs starts talking about Lily, there's no stopping him."

"Hm," Marlene said, understanding. She sometimes got tired of listening to Alice talk about her boyfriend, Frank Longbottom, too.

"So, I said I needed some air, then escaped. I was just walking around, trying to avoid boring myself to death, then you ran into me." Sirius grinned. "And here we are."

"So are you actually hungry, or am I your distraction from boredom?" She asked, glancing at him.

Sirius grinned again. It was beginning to make Marlene feel uneasy. How could one person smile so much?

"A little of both," he admitted. "Is that the trolley ahead of us? I can hear those Chocolate Frogs croaking my name."

They reached the trolley and each purchased some sweets. Marlene bought a couple Pumpkin Pasties and some Fizzing Whizzbees. Sirius bought an armload of candy, including three boxes of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.

"Like those, do you?" Marlene had commented, nodding at the jelly beans he held.

"They're my favorite. I like their unpredictability," Sirius confessed, either not catching or altogether ignoring her light sarcasm.

They started back to Marlene's compartment. Sirius ripped open a Chocolate Frog box and snatched the enchanted candy before it could hop away. He shoved the entire frog in his mouth and inspected the card he had received. "Huh," he said through a mouth full of chocolate. He chewed and swallowed before announcing, "Oswald Beamish."

"The Goblin's rights activist?"

"The very same. Good memory, McKinnon. You know, I've always kind of admired him. I admire anyone who fights for what they believe in, if, what they're fighting for, is a good cause."

Marlene couldn't think of a reply.

When they arrived outside of her compartment, Marlene hesitated. Should she say a farewell? She would see him around later, so that would be pointless.

Sirius spoke instead, "My thanks for the stroll, McKinnon. It was… intriguing. I hope we see more of each other in the future.."

Marlene raised a pale eyebrow. "Um, sure," she said lamely.

They stood there looking at each other for another moment, then Sirius reached into his jacket pocket. "Here," he said, presenting her with an unopened chocolate frog box. "I have plenty more, I won't miss it."

Marlene took it hesitantly. With a guy like Sirius Black, you never knew what kind of pranks could be pulled on you at any moment. The box looked… normal.

"Thank you," Marlene said, looking back up at him. "See you around, Black."

"Yeah, see you around." His dark eyes lingered on her for a second more, then turned on his heel and walked down the corridor.

Marlene slipped into her compartment and flopped onto her seat. Lily and Alice had changed into their school robes while she was gone.

"Was that Sirius Black with you?" Alice asked.

Marlene nodded.

"What on earth did he want?" Lily questioned. She had a distaste for any Marauder who wasn't Remus Lupin.

Marlene shrugged. "Just some company, I suppose." She reached for her trunk so she, too, could change into her robes.

Lily frowned. "Weird." She turned to Alice and they began chatting about what they were looking forward to eating during the upcoming back-to-school feast.

After changing clothes, Marlene sat in silence, thinking about the odd last ten minutes. The walk had been nothing short of strange. What was even stranger than Sirius deciding to spend time with her was that she hadn't hated it. In fact, it was rather interesting. She even felt compelled to do it again.

Marlene had always labelled Sirius as a typical Marauder: an arrogant, ignorant, rule-breaking fool. Okay, maybe he still was those things. Black was also amusing, she had to admit to herself.

And not hard on the eyes, her brain whispered to her. She pushed that thought aside.

She suddenly remembered the chocolate frog he had given her, and dug it out. She tore it open and grabbed the squirming creature inside. Biting off a leg, she reached inside the box and pulled out the card. She flipped it to the front side and allowed a small smile to escape her when she read whose card it belonged to.

Bertie Bott.

 **A/N: Review, review, review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: the world of Harry Potter rightfully belongs to J.K. Rowling**

It was only the third morning after the student body's arrival at Hogwarts, and the area surrounding Sirius Black's four poster bed was a war zone. Clothes were scattered everywhere in heaps and piles. With hair still wet from his shower, he was digging deeper and deeper into his trunk, tossing out random belongings over his shoulders.

"Damn," he muttered. "I really should have organized this."

The door to the Gryffindor boys' dormitory swung open. James, fresh from the Prefects' bathroom, strode in with a towel draped over his shoulders, toothbrush in hand.

"Blimey, Padfoot. What're you doing?" James asked when he noticed the mess.

"Looking for my bloody tie... aha! Here it is," Sirius exclaimed, drawing a crumpled maroon-and-gold-striped piece of fabric from the depths of his trunk. He flung it around himself and tied it loosely. It hung limply from his neck.

James smirked. "Fancy."

"Hey, least I found it," Sirius protested. He pointed to a stack of belongings on his bed. "Those are yours. I didn't bother folding them or anything."

James picked up the pile and tossed it onto his own four poster. "Thanks. I'll go through my trunk for your things after today's classes."

"Yeah, okay," Sirius said. He glanced at the enormous mess he made, then shrugged. "I'll just clean this up later. Do you know where Moony and Wormtail are?"

"I'm assuming that they're already in the Great Hall. We're not exactly early risers, you know."

"Oh, I'm aware. Want to go down for breakfast?"

James nodded. He snatched his Head Boy badge off of his bed stand, pinned it on himself, and followed Sirius out the door.

The two Marauders exited the dormitory and headed out of the Gryffindor tower. They discussed their class schedules, nearly identical, except Sirius had Divination when James had Study of Ancient Runes. James only took the class because Lily was. Sirius thought this was a little ridiculous, but he would never tell James that.

Sirius rubbed his neck. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," James said, glancing at him.

"Why didn't you tell me you were Head Boy?" Sirius asked, a question that had been nagging at him since the train ride.

James looked away and sighed. He stopped walking. "I… I dunno. At first, I thought there had to be a mistake. When I learned that there hadn't been, I almost owled Dumbledore to request Remus instead. But… I didn't. I guess responsibility got the better of me."

Sirius snorted.

"Hey, watch it! Anyway, I didn't tell anyone," James continued. "Not you, not Peter, not Remus, not even my parents. I didn't tell Moony because… because I thought he would be hurt that Dumbledore didn't pick him instead." James ruffled his dark hair. "It's silly, I know. But I was at a loss.

"In response to your question, Padfoot, I...I guess I was sort of embarrassed. I thought that if I told you, you would laugh at me."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Laugh at you? Are you joking?! In fact, I think that Dumbledore couldn't have picked a better man for the job."

James looked up at him, shocked. "Really?"

Sirius clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Really. And I'm sure that Moony would say the same thing- and mean it."

James gave a relieved smile, visibly relaxing. "Thanks, mate. Thanks a lot. You have no idea how much I needed to hear that."

Sirius nodded. "'Course. Let's hurry up and get to breakfast before Wormtail eats everything."

They hustled down to the Great Hall. The moment they stepped for inside, they realized that they could be the last students to be arriving; the room was packed. James and Sirius spotted the other two Marauders down the table, and sat in the two seats across from them. Peter was piling a second helping of sausages onto his plate and Remus was reading the Daily Prophet. He set the paper down when they had settled into their seats.

"Do you two plan on being late every morning?" Remus asked, fixing James and Sirius with a disgruntled glare.

Only on Mondays and Wednesdays," Sirius replied with a smirk.

"And every other Friday," James added. "Moony, are you finished with that paper?"

Remus shrugged. He handed it over and added some sugar to his morning tea.

James readjusted his glasses, inspected, the headlines, and grinned. "Our dear friend Marlene made the front page," he announced.

Sirius glanced at the paper and read, "McKinnons see daughter off for final year at Hogwarts". An article followed about the new Hogwarts school year and what one could expect to see from the McKinnon family within the next few months. He saw a picture of the four McKinnons, Marlene in front, at King's Cross station. Sirius often forgot that she came from such a famous family. He noted that seemed very non-materialistic for a member of high-society. Then again, the Potters were very wealthy, but they could not have been more average in Sirius' eyes.

Sirius's thoughts were interrupted when James rolled the up the newspaper and waved it at Marlene, who was sitting further along down the table. "Oi! McKinnon! Think you can you autograph this for me?"

Marlene snapped her attention away from Lily Evans, whom she had been having a conversation with, and looked for who was shouting at her. She frowned a little when she spotted James, but her eyes were soft. She simply rolled her eyes and threw up a middle finger. The entire Gryffindor table roared with laughter, and Marlene returned to her conversation with Lily.

James returned to his seat, still grinning. His flipped open the newspaper to the Quidditch section and began reading the latest match results.

Sirius sighed and took a piece of toast with jam from the rack in the middle of the table. He took a bite and chewed slowly, thinking about his upcoming classes. First period Charms, second and third period History of Magic, fourth period off, and fifth period Divination. _Not bad_ , he thought, taking another bite of toast. _Not bad at all_.

Classes flew by. Having most of them with the Marauders helped, too. Sirius loved History of Magic, so he thoroughly enjoyed having a double class of it. Although Professor Binns was a bit of a bore, Sirius enjoyed the class all the same.

When the time came for him and his friends to part ways, Sirius didn't feel the least bit remorseful. He trekked up the stairs of North Tower, taking two at a time. Sirius didn't particularly like Divination, but he would rather make up prophesies than do anything else that the other Hogwarts electives required of him.

When he finally entered the Divination classroom through the circular trapdoor, he was surprised to find that he was early. This was a rare occurrence. Sirius looked around the classroom for a place to sit, noting that most tables were empty. He flung his book bag onto a table by a window in the back of the classroom, sat down, and kicked his feet up. He closed his eyes and breathed in the incense that infused the room.

One moment, Sirius was feeling a warm breeze tickle his neck from the window, the next, he and the rest of his class, was being brought to attention by Professor Willowshade, who was rapping her wand against the blackboard.

"Attention, please. Class is starting," she said.

Sirius realized he must have dozed off as he glanced around at the full classroom. He lowered his legs from the table and leaned his head forward on his arms. He sighed, suspecting a dreadfully boring class for the rest of the year. These fears were abolished when the one more person rushed into the classroom from the trapdoor. "I am so sorry, Professor," cried Marlene McKinnon.

Professor Willowshade pursed her lips but nodded her pupil in. "Miss McKinnon, how kind of you to join us. Please take a seat- I see that there is a chair open next to Mr. Black.

Realization dawned on Sirius when he heard his name. He watched Marlene nod reverently at the professor, turn away, and carry herself to the back of the classroom, their classmates' eyes fixed on her. Sirius suspected that her level of coolness was due to years of being in the public's eye. She sat down next to Sirius without a single sign of embarrassment.

"My, my, my. Look who's late on the first day of class. Get lost on the way?"

She shot him a look, her gunmetal blue eyes defensive. "Oh that's rich, Black. I'm surprised you haven't skipped any classes at all today. Or have you?"

Sirius found himself impressed with her retort. He glanced at Professor Willowshade to see if she was watching them, but she was busy going over the objectives for the year and how the curriculum would all lead up to their N.E.W.T.s, drawing a detailed diagram on the blackboard.

Sirius leaned in. "Y'know, McKinnon, I was thinking about how we've never gotten to know each other. Why do you suppose that is?"

"Maybe because you're too busy fooling around with your so-called 'Marauders' to get to know anyone at all."

"Fair point, fair point," he nodded. "But do you want to?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Want to what?"

"Get to know each other."

"Whatever, sure. Now shhh!"

Sirius stretched his legs and pushed his chair onto its back legs. He glanced at Marlene out of the corner of his eye. She was leaning forward on the table, propping her head up on her elbows. Sirius scanned her up and down, sizing her up. She had clean blonde hair, perfectly tailored robes, and clear skin. Nothing out of the ordinary, Sirius thought, except for her large chest. _Slow down_ , Sirius thought. He bit the inside of his cheek and decided to abandon all thoughts of Marlene McKinnon for the rest of the class period.

Professor Willowshade handed out dream journals to the class near the end of the lesson. "These," she told the class, "will be what you use to record any and all dreams you remember, long or short, thrilling or dull. During our next lesson, we will begin training ourselves to remember dreams and recognize what they're telling us. We will dive deeper into the Dream Realm than ever before!

Professor Willowshade dismissed the class five minutes early. Marlene was immediately on her feet, walking toward the trapdoor. Sirius leaped out of his chair and threw his quill, ink pot, and Dream Journal into his book bag. By the time he had finished packing it all up, Marlene was already out of sight.

Sirius knit his eyebrows together and ran a hand through his hair. Marlene McKinnon was very ordinary. And yet...

Being around Marlene McKinnon gave him an intriguing vibe, like he was being hit with a stunning spell. Sirius grinned, threw his bag over his shoulder, and left the classroom. There was something fascinating about the girl with the long blonde hair- something that compelled Sirius to learn more about her.

 **A/N: I'll try to update all chapters as quickly as possible. Feel free to leave comments and reviews!**

 **Update 01/05/16: Sorry about the huge formatting glitch, but it's all fixed now!**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: the world of Harry Potter is rightfully owned by J.K. Rowling

"Oi! Watch where you're swinging that bat!" Marlene shouted, narrowly avoiding a blow to the face. Quidditch tryouts had taken place a week ago, yet the new Beater, Albert Alois, had improved very little.

Marlene shook her head and flew over to James, who was watching the rest of their team practice.

"Alois, Potter? Really?" Marlene asked.

James shook his head. "We're making do with what we have, McKinnon. And Alois…" his voice trailed off, watching the third year struggle not to fall off his broom while switching the bat between hands. "Well, Alois had the most potential out of all the newbies. And we needed a newbie to train up, or else the future of Gryffindor team is screwed." James yawned and shook out his shoulders.

"And are you sure you want us practicing this early every day?" Marlene continued. "It's barely the crack of dawn."

"I don't have a choice! I have to do homework after dinner, then patrol with Lily at nine o'clock every night."

"Oh, how could I have forgotten Lily!" Marlene exclaimed, fanning her face and batting her eyes at James. He simply smirked, rolled his eyes, and aimed a kick at her broom. She laughed and had to grab onto the handle in order to not fall off.

"Come on, let's round up the team," James let loose a long sigh. "We have a long practice ahead of us."

"You've got it, Captain,"

Marlene was stuffing a second piece of buttered toast into her mouth at breakfast when Lily told her to slow down.

"Marlene, the toast isn't going anywhere soon. Try tasting your food before you swallow it."

Alice giggled next to Marlene, her face buried behind the Prophet.

Marlene grunted and swallowed her mouthful. "I'm damn near starved, Lils. James has us practicing every other morning from five to six-thirty. Can't you two do rounds at some other time so I can get more sleep?" She ran her fingers through her long blonde hair, still damp from the shower.

Lily scoffed. "Trust me, I would if I could. Spending an hour with Potter every night is the last thing I want to do."

"How did rounds together go last night?" Alice asked, lowering her newspaper. "Has there been any difference in the past two weeks?"

Lily sighed dramatically. "To answer your question, not really. I swear, the boy never shuts up! Asking me questions here and there, talking about the two detentions he's already earned this year. Two of them!" Lily took a sip of her juice, allowing herself to calm down a little. "I swear, the students who sneak out are able to avoid us because they can hear him blabbering from down the corridor."

Marlene waved her hand. "It's still the beginning of the term, no one has any incentive to sneak out yet. Give it another week and you'll catch a few kids- inexperienced first years and the like."

"I know, I know," Lily said. "However…"

Marlene and Alice shared a glance. "However…?"

Lily looked confused. "He hasn't yet made a move on me this year. Not a single remark about how I look, or what I'm wearing. Not even a single marriage proposal! It's beyond strange and I can;t figure it out."

"Has he gotten over you? Did something happen over the summer?" Alice asked.

"Certainly not," Lily remarked, flipping her auburn hair over her shoulder. "I catch him staring at me during Ancient Ruins and the nightly rounds all the time."

"Strange," Marlene mumbled, barely listening to their conversation. Her eyes had been distracted by Alice's discarded newspaper, with a headline blaring "Jr. Assistant Malfoy denies father's involvement in Leach's withdrawal from office".

Alice saw where Marlene's eyes were and nudged her. "You're family friends, right?"

"Not me," Marlene said harshly. "My father and mother, maybe," She frowned. "Abraxas and my father run in the same circles, although I doubt that Abraxas would even give my family a second glance if we weren't pure-bloods."

"But your parents don't believe in that whole 'blood purity' idea, do they?" Lily inquired.

"Of course not!" Marlene assured her Muggle-born friend. "The Malfoys come to plenty of our house gatherings and Abraxas seems close with my dad but… I don't know. Sometimes… sometimes I think my father is only nice to them because it's safer than being enemies.

"But then he goes on and says Lucius Malfoy is so 'well rounded', or so 'admirable', or whatever rubbish the Malfoys want him to think. Lucius is always brought up, but it's not like he's in the same business as my father. It throws me off."

The three were quiet for a minute or so. Then, Lily spoke up. "You don't think that… you know… your families would ever set you two up together, do you?"

Marlene's jaw dropped. "Me? And Lucius Malfoy?" She sputtered. "Never! I mean… they wouldn't. No way."

But the more she thought about it, the more fitting Lily's comment seemed. How many times had Marlene's father mentioned having Lucius over for dinner this summer? How many letters had she seen exchanged between her father and Abraxas while she'd been home? Was the truth finally dawning on her?

"But how could my parents possibly approve of him?" Marlene asked. "We're nothing alike. Not to mention he's six years older than me! I don't see a single proper thing about the man."

"Nor I," Lily shuddered. Marlene knew how much blood purists made her auburn-haired friend uncomfortable, and for good reason.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Lucius threatened Ministry workers to get where he is now," Marlene continued. "I mean, look at that headline! The Malfoys are vile. They cheat to get what they want and lie to protect their own kind."

"Maybe we're overthinking it, Marlene," Alice tried to reassure her. "Would your parents ever put you or Maxwell in an arranged marriage?"

"That's the thing," Marlene said worriedly. "I don't think we'd ever be forced into marriage but… I can see my parents making matches for us. It's hard to explain."

Marlene pushed her plate away, her raging appetite had long since ceased. She rose from her seat and swung her book bag over her shoulder. "I… I forgot! I left my Herbology textbook in the dormitory," she lied. "Don't wait up for me, I'll be there in a bit."

Leaving her friends in surprised silence, Marlene rushed out of the Great Hall and sprinted up the stairs to the Common Room. _Herbology can wait_ , she thought to herself as she burst into the dormitory and immediately began digging through her trunk. There, she found it! Marlene triumphantly pulled out her stationary kit and sat down on her four-poster bed. She dipped her quill in the ink and began to write.

 _Dear Mr. Lucius Malfoy_

A/N: As always, please review!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: the world of Harry Potter is rightfully owned by J.K. Rowling**

"Please take out your Dream Journals," instructed Professor Willowshade. "We are going to be trying a new activity today. Hand your journal over to your partner and choose three of their dreams from the past month to interpret. You may use your textbooks to look up patterns or symbols to aid you in this assignment."

Sirius dug out his journal, already tattered after almost one month, and traded it for Marlene's spotless one. He opened it up and noticed her nice, even penmanship.

He thumbed through the pages. "Ohhh-kay," Sirius drawled. "Let's take a peek into the mind of Marlene McKinnon, shall we? Page one. 'September sixth. I dreamt that I was walking to the the common room, but the staircases would move just before I would make it to the next landing. This happened a minimum of twenty times'. McKinnon do you realize how boring that was? I think I might've fallen asleep halfway through."

Marlene rolled her eyes. "Just look up what it means."

Sirius scanned the textbook for a minute then pointed to a paragraph. "Staircases. It says here that they could represent transformation or moving forward. Wait, above it is Stairs, which could symbolize the beginning of an emotional journey. It also says that if you're finding trouble navigating up and down stairs, then you aren't progressing anywhere in real life. Wait, what?! How can you be transforming but not changing at the same time?"

"Let's move on," Marlene proposed, opening Sirius's journal. She cleared her throat, "'September fifteenth. I was a dog. I ran around a lot. I was in a meadow.' Wow, Black, the details are simply overwhelming."

"I have been told I'm quite the wordsmith. Go on, what's that rubbish mean?"

Marlene ran her eyes over the dream index of their textbook. "Well, dogs symbolize loyalty, protection, and friendship. But being a dog…" Marlene turned a few pages. "Here- Zoomorphism. It says that by dreaming of shape shifting to an animal, you're… um…" Marlene stopped reading.

A feeling of uneasiness slowly sunk into Sirius. Did it reveal that he was an animagus? Would she be forced to tell Professor Willowshade? "What does it say?" He asked anxiously.

Marlene's ears turned red. "It says that taking the form of an animal represents your… erm… repressed sexual urges finally surfacing and in need of satisfaction." Her whole face had turned red.

Sirius's mouth dropped open and he roared with laughter, causing Professor Willowshade to shoot a warning look in his direction. He was just releaved that his secret was still safe.

"Oh, shut up!" Marlene hissed, snapping the journal shut. She covered her face with her hand out of embarrassment. "Just do some more of mine, then."

Sirius recovered from his fit of laughter and returned his attention to Marlene's Dream Journal. "'September twenty-third. I dreamt that I found a ring on the sidewalk. I asked everyone who was passing me if it was theirs, but no one claimed it. A man approached me and told me that it was mine.'" Sirius looked through the textbook once more and then found a passage about rings. "Hmmm," he mused. "It says that the ring could mean that you're loyal to your beliefs. It also mentions emotional wellness and honor. Oh, it also represents important promises such as a wedding engagement."

"Choose a different one," Marlene said quickly. She was looking at her hands, which had begun to play with the worn binding of his journal.

"McKinnon, I don't know about you but I'm having a riot. Here we are, then," he said, flipping to a random page. "'September twelfth. Mum, Dad, Maxwell, and I were on holiday at the beach. Maxwell and I walked along the beach, looking for seashells. Then, reporters and photographers came out of nowhere and the day was ruined.'" Once again, Sirius had forgotten what Marlene's life was actually like outside of Hogwarts. He wondered if something like this had happened before.

As if reading his mind, Marlene gave him a dry smile and simply said, "Welcome to every holiday with the McKinnons ever."

Sirius leaned in. "What's it like?"

"Living my life, you mean?"

"Always having a camera pointed in your face. No privacy. Having fans."

Marlene went silent for a moment, then shrugged. "It's what I know. All that's expected of me is to not embarrass myself or my family in front of the entire world."

Sirius shook his head. "I just don't know how you do it, McKinnon."

Marlene didn't answer. Instead, she opened Sirius's Dream Journal and read an entry. "'September sixth. Only six days in and it was already a full moon.' Huh? That's all you wrote? Professor Willowshade will not be pleased. And what a coincidence! Tonight is a full moon."

"Don't I know it," Sirius muttered.

"Well, moons are symbolic of mystery. However, I can't seem to find anything about full moons-"

"Hey, McKinnon. It's Friday."

Marlene frowned at the sudden interruption. "Well, you're not wrong."

"What do you have going on?"

"Tonight?"

"Tonight, tomorrow, whenever." Sirius tipped his chair on its back legs.

"Not much. Why?"

Sirius almost told her that it was because he liked the conversations they had when they were together and how interesting she was to observe. Instead, he kept these thoughts private and lied, "I made this bet with James that I'd do better than him on the next History of Magic exam but I really need some motivation to study."

Marlene gave him a funny look. "I wasn't aware that 'studying' was a part of your vocabulary, Black."

"I admit, I often go to extreme measures in order to win bets against James. What I'm saying is, will you study with me?"

"Me?"

"'Course."

Marlene sighed. and tugged at a strand of her long hair. "Well, I said I didn't have anything going on..."

Sirius perked up. "Is that a yes?"

He watched Marlene think for a moment, then give a small nod. "I suppose some company would do me good. But if you prove to be too much of a distraction, I'll have no problem studying with Lily or Alice instead."

"A distraction? Me?" Sirius leaned in closer. "Perhaps if my 'animal-like urges' end up surfacing. Wouldn't that be awkward for the both of us?"

"Don't even try it," Marlene said firmly, but her cheeks were colored again.

"Sorry, sorry. Shall we meet at, say, one o'clock in the library?" Sirius asked.

"That's fine."

"Y'know, you still have to do one more journal entry of mine," Sirius reminded.

Marlene gave a smile and selected a page. "'October second'," she read aloud. "I was at the Potters' house. Prongs let me borrow his broomstick. I flew around London for a while, then went to the Leaky Cauldron and bought a butterbeer. Something tasted wrong and I spit it out. It was poisoned. I didn't find out who did it.' Okay, give me a second… here we are! Flying is symbolic of freedom and an inflated sense of self. Ha! And poison stands for a negativity in your life that needs to be dealt with, such as feelings of jealousy, bitterness, or an enemy." Marlene handed the journal to Sirius. "That's a little ominous, Black," she observed. "I'd watch my back if I were you."

* * *

Later that evening, after dinner, Sirius sat outside the grounds of the castle by himself. It was one of those few unusually warm late autumn days where the sunsets are beautiful and the leaves on the trees all look as though they're trying to match the colors of the sky. The pink and gold sky reflected on the glittering lake. He could hear some students milling about, but he was far enough away that they couldn't bother him. A slight breeze rolled past Sirius, cool, but not enough to give him chills. He took a deep breath, taking in the crisp smells of autumn, and lay down in the grass. He closed his eyes.

Remus would be on his way to the Shrieking Shack by now, escorted by Madam Pomfrey. Sirius, James, and Peter always left at dusk so they wouldn't be seen as easily. Then, the three would make it just in time to provide comfort for their friend during his painful transformation and stay up with him all night.

Sirius would be lying if he said he enjoyed doing this every month, but he could never forgive himself if he didn't at least try to help Remus during this time. So what if he came back with yellow and green bruises or gashes up to 5 inches long. You can't have friends without making sacrifices. Sirius figured losing a night's sleep and some physical injuries were nothing compared to what Remus dealt with every day,

"Hello, brother dearest."

Sirius's serene atmosphere and tranquil attitude disappeared in a moment and his eyes shot open. A boy, looking quite the same, yet quite the opposite of Sirius, stood over him. Not a strand of his slicked-back raven hair was out of place, and immaculately-tailored Slytherin robes produced a look of supreme aristocracy. His solemn, dark brown eyes chilled the warm autumn evening.

"Regulus," Sirius growled.

"Long time, no see,"

"If only it could have been longer."

"Did you have a pleasant summer?"

"Drop dead."

"Why, Sirius, what a thing to say!" Regulus tilted his head to the side, expressionless. His brother's face never once showed a sign of emotion, not since they were young. "And to me, your own flesh and blood. Why, we're family."

"Family? I have no family. Just in case you forgot, I was disowned by that banshee of a mother."

Regulus only tsked. "What a dreadful thing to say about your own kin."

Sirius took a deep breath to steady himself. "What do you want?"

Regulus's face remained unreadable. He sat down next to his brother so they could be at eye-level. Sirius was shocked to see how much older his fifteen year-old brother looked since the end of last term. His skin was pale, face sharp and angular. The dark circles beneath his eyes suggested to Sirius that he wasn't sleeping much anymore.

"What I want," Regulus answered calmly. "Is for us to be on better terms."

"That's not happening so long as you're hanging out with Dolohov, Travers, and the rest of those bloody idiots."

"Come now, Sirius, those 'idiots' are my dearest companions."

"Cronies, more like. Do you think I'm a moron, Regulus? I know the exact reason why you're all so chummy. In fact," Sirius sneered. "I wouldn't be surprised if you've all gotten your Dark Marks already."

Regulus didn't react. He stared across the Great Lake in silence. The sun had sunk low on the horizon. "Of course I know you're not a moron," Regulus began. "And you also know that there is truth in my words. If you join us, your place as the Heir of Black would be reestablished and-"

"You think I want any of that rubbish?!" Sirius shouted. "The House of Black can burn in hell for all I care! You've been taken complete advantage of by mum and dad. I actually had hope that you'd end up making something of yourself, that you'd break from what our parents wanted us to be. I see now that I was completely wrong."

For a split second, Sirius thought he saw a flicker of hurt in his brother's dark eyes, but if it was even there, it left as soon as it came. Regulus stood up, brushed the grass from his robes, and straightened himself out. "You've given your answer. No matter, it will change.

"This is not the last time we will be seeing each other, Sirius. Everyone can sense that a war is coming." He turned away from Sirius. "Make sure you're fighting for the right side." Regulus left Sirius without another word.

"Oh, I will," Sirius said out loud, though nobody was around to hear him. It was almost dusk, it was almost time to meet up with James and Peter.

 **A/N: Sorry for the wait, enjoy and review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: the world of Harry Potter is rightfully owned by J.K. Rowling**

Marlene lay on her four-poster bed staring at the canopy in the dark. It was six in the morning and Alice's thunderous snoring certainly wasn't helping to lull her to sleep. _She's a small girl_ , Marlene thought, _but her snoring certainly isn't_. After a few more minutes of failed sleep, Marlene put on a warm sweater, jeans, and shoes and slipped out the dormitory door.

Making her way down the stairs, she stopped in her tracks when she heard low voices coming from the Common Room. She pressed her body against the wall and quietly travelled further down the staircase. She slowly peered around the corner and was surprised to find three male silhouettes walking- no, one was limping- towards the opposite staircase in.

"Are you sure you're all right, Prongs?" One voice squeaked. Marlene recognized it as Peter Pettigrew's.

"Yeah, yeah, Wormtail, quit asking for crying out loud. You're badgering hurts more than my leg," another snapped. It was clearly James.

Marlene snapped her head back around the corner. She debated waking up Lily. Without a doubt, the Head Girl would march around the corner without a second thought and demand that the three boys be escorted to McGonagall. However, Marlene's curiosity got the best of her and she stayed rooted to her spot.

"I dunno," a lower voice said. _Sirius_. "Maybe you should go to Madam Pomfrey for that one, Prongs. I'll go with you."

"I said I'm fine. I had to go last month, remember? She'll get suspicious. Just help me up these damned stairs."

Marlene waited until the shuffling sound of their footsteps and James's curses and grunts had disappeared up the stairs and released a breath. What on earth were those three doing out and about at this early in the morning? James and Sirius certainly weren't early birds- she knew well that at least a quarter of their detentions were regularly assigned for skipping morning classes. Why was James limping? Was he hurt badly? And where was Remus?

Marlene puzzled over these thoughts and exited the dormitory. Walking the halls of Hogwarts this early on a Saturday morning was strangely eerie. The familiar sounds of students chatting and laughing were replaced with complete stillness. Only the echoing of her footsteps broke the silence.

She was careful to avoid any teachers or prefects monitoring the corridors. When she finally arrived at the top of the West Tower, she threw open the door and was immediately hit with the usual cold air that accompanied the owlery.

"Napoleon!" she called.

From high above, a flutter of brown and white feathers came swooping toward her at a high speed.

"Well, isn't someone excited to see me?" Marlene grinned as her pet owl flew in fast circles above her head. She laughed, "Okay, settle down. Let's see what you have there."

She stuck out her arm for Napoleon the owl to perch on. He did so, and dropped a letter in her outstretched hand. He shuffled up her arm to rest on her shoulder and Marlene turned the envelope over. A shiver went down her spine when she saw the Malfoy family crest stamped into the sealing wax. She ripped it open and read,

 _Dear Miss McKinnon,_

 _I confess I find myself quite surprised at receiving your letter. You strike me as a smart woman, so I won't beat around the bush. I have heard talk of our parents wishing for us to meet. At this point in time, you say that you are suspicious of an arranged marriage. I cannot put these assumptions to rest, but I can guarantee a marriage between you and I hasn't been discussed to me directly. Don't misunderstand; I'm very certain that our parents share equal concerns and wishes for our future partners. I have heard much about you from my mother and father. Your decision to write to me directly with such a question, I must admit, compels me to want to meet you face-to-face. Would you care to do so? I understand that you're in your final year of Hogwarts so your schedule is likely busy. My proposal is this: on your next Hogsmeade outing, we shall meet each other as we would like to be introduced, not as our parents would have us do so._

 _I await your reply,_

 _Lucius Malfoy_

 _Junior Assistant to the Minister of Magic_

Marlene scowled. _Wonderful_ , she thought. Now she was even more confused than before. And she had been given a headache.

She ruffled the feathers on top of Napoleon's head and tossed a couple treats in the air for him. "You know I spoil you," she said as he leapt off her shoulder and swooped through the air, catching them easily.

She blew a kiss to her beloved pet and exited the owlery. By the position of the sun, she estimated that the time was around half past seven. The Great Hall ought to be open for the few weekend early risers, and perhaps Lily would be there if she had to do morning rounds.

Sighing, Marlene tucked the envelope into her back pocket and forced all thoughts of it to the back of her mind. In the meantime, she would fantasize about a breakfast of sausage and buttered toast. Then, she'd treat herself to a nap.

* * *

The library was always a favorite spot of Marlene's. She loved to read and it was a perfect place to crank out an essay in an afternoon. She was there now, waiting for Sirius Black to arrive and begin their study session. She had chosen a private table far from the entrance of the library and behind many bookshelves. Marlene convinced herself that it was not because she didn't want to be seen alone with Black, but rather because he would be less distracted.

She drummed her fingers and glanced around. No Sirius, only books. She began to wonder if he was ever going to show up when a certain book caught her eye. Her eyes lit up as she recognized the book as one she had been buried into on her very first day at Hogwarts, the same day she made her first friend.

 _"You're in Gryffindor House, too, yes?" She heard a voice ask._

 _Marlene jumped and looked up from the book she'd been immersed in._

 _"I haven't properly introduced myself yet. My name's Lily, pleasure to meet you." It was that girl with the bright auburn hair. "And your name?"_

 _Marlene blinked. "I'm sorry? I don't mean to sound rude but… are you saying you don't know who I am?"_

 _"Should I?"_

 _Marlene gave a nervous laugh and set down her book. "Well, my family is often in the papers and such..."_

 _"Ah, that would be why. I'm muggle-born, so I don't know of many famous witches and wizards that aren't in books. Do you mind if I sit?"_

 _Marlene quickly shook her head. "Not at all!"_

 _The girl, Lily, did so. "So you're famous. How much so? Like Diana Rigg? Or Twiggy?"_

 _Marlene stared at her. "Who?"_ What odd names _, she thought._

 _Lily gave her a funny look, then began laughing. "They're muggle celebrities, I thought everybody knew them. I guess we'll have to keep each other informed about the magic and muggle worlds from now on."_

 _Marlene smiled. "I guess we will."_

 _"What do you have there?" Lily nodded at the book Marlene had been reading._

 _"Oh, this," Marlene held the book up to show Lily the cover. "_ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them _by Newt Scamander."_

 _"I've read about him! Wasn't he a magizoologist?"_

 _"That's right," Marlene said, surprised._

 _"But what are you reading it for? Do you want to become a magizoologist someday?" Lily questioned._

 _"Oh, no, I want to persuade my parents to buy me my own owl, so I've decided to research them. I guess I got a little sidetracked- I've accidentally been reading the whole book," Marlene said sheepishly._

 _Lily's green eyes sparkled. "Magical creatures absolutely fascinate me. Mind if I borrow that when you're done?"_

 _Marlene grinned. This girl evidently didn't think strangely of her love of learning, as many seemed to. In fact, Lily appeared to feel the same way. "Not at all," she responded._

Marlene's memory was interrupted when a book bag was tossed onto the table. Sirius Black plopped down in the chair opposite of her.

"Afternoon, McKinnon," was his greeting.

"Black-" Marlene was about to explain the politeness in punctuality when she looked at him and was startled. "Merlin! What happened to you?"

Sirius was sporting a large black eye, swollen lip, and a nasty gash running across his collarbone. There were other various bruises and marks visible, and Marlene suspected his clothes concealed many more. She suddenly remembered seeing James, Peter, and him sneaking back into the common room earlier that morning.

Sirius grimaced. "I'd hoped you wouldn't notice."

"That's ridiculous, how couldn't I? Or anyone for that matter."

"So that's why everyone was looking at me in the halls?" Sirius asked, slapping a palm to his forehead. "I thought it was just because of how insanely handsome I am."

"You're seriously hurt," Marlene ignored his comment. "Were you in a brawl? Did you get mugged?"

"I'm fine, don't worry about me."

"This couldn't have happened at Hogwarts," Marlene pressed on. "Where were you?"

Sirius didn't answer right away. "Okay, you were right," he said. "Last night James, Remus, Peter, and I sneaked into Hogsmeade and we got into a fight at a bar. It happens." Sirius shrugged, but the motion caused him to wince.

Marlene considered if this could be true. She replayed the scene she witnessed early in the morning in her head. She supposed it must be true, and it would explain why James didn't want to go see Madam Pomfrey. She opened her mouth to ask something else until she remembered that Remus hadn't returned with them. She bit her lip. She couldn't ask, or he would know that she had been spying.

"Okay…" she said. She was secretly unconvinced, but she decided to drop it. "But before we start, let me use a couple of healing spells on you. I can only work on the bruises and small cuts, but I don't trust myself near your eye."

Sirius looked at her with surprise. "All right then," he gave a nod.

Marlene moved closer and knelt next to his chair. She started with his cut lip and avoided looking into his eyes. "Episkey," she muttered. The cut closed and disappeared without a scar. She moved to a bruise on his chin, another on his jaw, and to a cut under his ear.

"That's about all I can do-"

"Wait, I have one more," Sirius interrupted. "Please," he added.

Marlene didn't have time to ask where before he loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. She felt her cheeks get hot.

"This one," Sirius pulled the shirt open to reveal a rather large bruise on his ribs.

Marlene's mouth was dry, so she only nodded in response. She ducked her head so he wouldn't see her blush. "Try not to move," she whispered and placed her left hand on his stomach to keep him steady. Her wand, thankfully, didn't waver as she held it over the purple and blue mark and softly spoke a healing spell. She tried not to notice how warm his skin felt against her palm or the toned definition of his abdominal muscles. Marlene silently thanked herself for choosing such a concealed study spot.

After what felt like hours, the bruise disappeared. She quickly dropped her hand and returned to her chair.

"Blimey," Sirius inspected the newly healed area of his ribs. He prodded where the cut on his lip used to be. "Where did you learn how to do that?"

Marlene shrugged. "My dad knows quite a few healing spells; those are the ones he taught me. Many Quidditch players pick them up eventually, especially in the National Leagues."

Sirius flashed her a large grin and began buttoning up his shirt. "You know, McKinnon, you're actually quite brilliant." Marlene didn't know whether or not to take his remark as a compliment. "But really, thanks," Sirius added.

Marlene felt her cheeks warm again. "Sure."

"Now," Sirius opened his book bag and grabbed his History of Magic textbook. "Teach me all the dull things this thing has to offer. Or," he wiggled his eyebrows. "If you'd rather, I could teach _you_ a few things."

"Black," Marlene warned.

"Only joking," Sirius said quickly. He smirked, gave her a wink (or, since his blackened eye was shut, was it just a blink?) and rolled out a new piece of parchment.

Marlene found herself beginning to wonder what exactly she was getting herself into.

 **A/N: Hello, I'm back! I sincerely apologize for the wait on this chapter. I have gone through a lot of changes this past year; most importantly, starting college away from my hometown. I am happy to report that my first semester went fantastically! However, I never forgot about this fic and have every intention of completing it. Please continue to follow the story and give reviews! I'm excited to be back :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: the world of Harry Potter is rightfully owned by J.K. Rowling**

"Put some back into it, boys," barked Filch. "I should be able to see my reflection in those trophies by time you're done!"

Sirius muttered some obscenities and James only scowled. The caretaker sneered and turned away, returning to his office.

"You know, I blame you for this," James huffed. "If you hadn't laughed when the chalk started attacking Slughorn, then you wouldn't have made me laugh and I could be off wooing Lily right now."

"My fault?" Sirius asked incredulously. "Whose idea was it to charm the chalk in the first place?"

"Fair enough, but you're ideas were all rubbish. You've gotta admit," James grinned. "The cartoon drawing of Slug on the blackboard that the chalk made was priceless."

Sirius threw his cleaning rag at his friend, laughing. "You're a git."

James dodged the rag and readjusted his glasses. "Now, now, Padfoot, violence is never the answer."

Sirius retrieved his rag and picked up a large golden platter. _1911 Hogwarts Wizard Chess Champion_ it read at the top and _Glenda Giggleharp_ beneath that. Sirius mentally cursed Glenda for giving him yet another piece of metal to polish. "How's your leg feeling?" he asked.

James shrugged, not looking up from the silver cup he was working on. "Better. Still hurts, but better. Lily asked me why I was limping during evening rounds the day after, and I said it happened during Quidditch practice." James sighed. "After hiding Moony's furry little problem for so long, you'd think lying would get easier but it doesn't."

"Tell me about it," Sirius admitted. "I told McKinnon that we were all in a pub fight."

James gave him a funny look. "Since when do you talk to Marlene?"

"Can't I talk to other seventh year Gryffindors?"

"Don't dodge the question."

Sirius didn't know why he suddenly felt uncomfortable sharing. "We just studied together last week, that's all."

A smug smile slowly appeared on James's face. "Oh?"

"Whaddya mean, 'oh'?"

"Just some studying, eh? That's all you two did?"

"Prongs, don't make me jinx you."

James laughed in response. "Mate, you can't fool me. You fancy her."

"I do not," Sirius glared, finishing Glenda Giggleharp's plate and picking up a platinum trophy in the shape of a dragon.

"You do, too. Admit it."

Sirius stood up straighter, happy to remind James of the few inches taller he was than him. "Drop it."

"No need to get all defensive," James waved his rag. "She's a great girl. Pretty. Smart. Our parents go way back, you know, we've know each other since diapers."

"So why don't you chase after her?" Sirius challenged.

James clasped his hands over his chest. "Lily Evans is the only girl I could ever love." This time, Sirius's rag hit him right in the face.

James was smiling as he tossed the rag back. He opened his mouth to likely give Sirius some kind of cheeky retort when a cold laugh interrupted the conversation. The boys turned to find Severus Snape peering down his hooked nose at them.

"In love? With that Mudblood? How disgusting," Snape sneered.

James lunged forward but was held back by Sirius.

"Snivellus, perfect timing! Think you could lend us your greasy face for the rest of the polishing we have to do?" Sirius taunted.

James shook off Sirius and gave a sharp laugh. "That's right, you could prove us wrong and show us that you are useful for something."

Snape whipped out his wand in an instant. " _Lutulentus_!" he shouted and a stream of blue light shot at the two Marauders. However, it missed both of them.

"Ha! Some aim you have, Snivellus-" Sirius started to jeer, but a cry from James made him snap his head around. With horror, Sirius realized that Sirius hadn't missed– his target, anyway. Half of the newly-polished trophies were covered in a new layer of filth. A solid two hours of work had been spoiled in a matter of seconds.

"You greasy little…" Sirius snarled, grabbing his own wand, but it was too late. Snape was running away from them, almost at the end of the corridor. James sent a yellow curse after him, but it missed and hit the stone wall instead. Snape rounded the corner and disappeared.

"That bloody prat, I'll get him back for using that disgusting word about Lily…" James growled.

Sirius reluctantly put his wand away, loathing Snape just as much. "C'mon, let's get these done before Filch does us a number."

* * *

Another two hours and a berating from Filch later, there was only one more trophy case to be done. James had begged Sirius to finish it for the both of them, needing to get to the locker room before his Quidditch match started. Sirius told him not to worry, it was only one case and he could definitely handle it.

"I owe you one!" James shouted, running away.

"Yeah, I know," Sirius called after him.

He turned to the final case and heaved a heavy sigh, his hands feeling ready to fall right off. He picked up the first plaque, noting that it was an Inter-House Quidditch Championship victory won by Gryffindor in 1953. He was surprised at the first name he read, _Alec McKinnon, Captain_. After polishing the plaque, he polished five more with Alec McKinnon's name on them, including another recognizing him as a captain. Six total Championships, two of which he'd been the team captain. It certainly didn't surprise Sirius that he ended up playing in the National Leagues.

Of course, Sirius had to compare him to Marlene. She, too, had an obvious talent on the pitch. As a Seeker, Marlene's sharp eye and quick flying made her an invaluable asset to team Gryffindor. For the past two years, not a single game had ended without her capturing the Snitch. It was an incredible record. Sirius had heard rumors that National League scouters started watching her when she was just fourteen years old. James often raved about her athletic ability, often saying things like, "Gryffindor wouldn't even have a team without Marlene McKinnon!"

Sirius was exhausted by the time he finished polishing the last trophy. Checking his watch, he realized that the game was about to start. He returned the cleaning equipment to Filch's office and was happy to find that the caretaker was out, likely looking for other students to torment. Sirius dumped the supplies on Filch's desk and left before he could be given another lecture.

* * *

Sirius was happy to spot Remus and Peter in the stands with an empty seat next to them. "What did I miss?" he asked, joining them.

"You're back!" Peter exclaimed.

"Not much, the game started only a couple minutes ago. The score is zero-zero," Remus answered.

Sirius lifted his gaze to the players. There was James, in possession of the Quaffle, zooming towards Slytherin's goal posts with fellow Chasers, Gordon Voronoff and Calliope Cooper, flanked on either side of him. Hovering about twenty metres above them was Marlene, distinguishable by her blonde hair. Another figure in Slytherin colors was near her, features indistinct, but Sirius knew very well that it was his brother, Regulus.

He remembered the last time they spoke. _Everyone can sense that a war is coming_ , Regulus had said, _Make sure you're fighting for the right side_. Sirius frowned and looked away from his brother.

"Gryffindor is racing towards Slytherin's end, Potter is looking hungry for a goal here," the student announcer's voice rang throughout the stadium. "Here we go, a pass to Cooper– which is returned to Potter– he winds up and… Oh! It's deflected by Slytherin Keeper Danny Morrison."

Cheers erupted from the Slytherin section. "Damn," muttered Sirius.

"He'll get it next time!" Peter said with certainty.

He was right. The Slytherin team soon had a poor turnover that resulted in a breakaway for James. Facing only the Slytherin Keeper, he scored easily.

"That's ten to zero, Gryffindor leading!" the announcer said. "Slytherin Chaser Edwin Vaughn has possession now– he passes to teammate Pauline Wilson– she barely dodges a Bludger, there– Slytherin is changing positioning now– another pass– no! Intercepted by Cooper!"

Gryffindor's student section cheered loudly. "C'mon, Cal, drive it home!" Sirius heard Calliope's boyfriend, Robert Gardener, yell from the row behind him. Sirius sneaked a peak at him and suppressed a laugh when he saw the poster decked in maroon and gold that Gardener was waving high in the air. It read "Cooper is a super swooper" and a crude drawing that resembled Calliope was doing loop-the-loops around the wording. Gardener looked a little mad, especially with a maroon number 3 painted on each of his cheeks, but he didn't seem to mind the strange looks he was receiving. Sirius couldn't help but smile at the sight of him.

"Cooper dodges a block from Slytherin Chaser Francis Fuller– and a nice spin maneuver it was– Cooper is joined by teammate Voronoff– Slytherin Chaser Vaughn is approaching them quickly from behind– they're close to the posts now– Cooper feints– a sudden pass to Voronoff– VORONOFF SCORES!"

Gryffindor's cheers were heard again, along with groans from the Slytherin section.

"Our team does look quite good this year," Remus remarked, looking through his binoculars. "Ah– look!"

Marlene and Regulus were no longer hovering above. Sirius spotted the two Seekers racing neck-and-neck along the side of the pitch, chasing after a small gleam of gold.

"The Snitch!" Peter clasped the railing in front of them.

Marlene was pulling ahead. She stretched out her arm, laying flat against her broom. Closing the distance little by little, the crowd watching in anticipation of an early victory– until a Bludger came barrelling in front of her and she had to duck to avoid it.

Sirius, Peter, Remus, and the rest of the Gryffindors groaned. Fortunately, it appeared as though Regulus had lost track of the Snitch in the confusion as well. Sirius saw Marlene waving her fist and shouting at a sheepish-looking teammate.

"That must be Albert Alois," Remus said. "You know, the new Beater that James has been having a lot of trouble with lately. He must have accidentally deflected the Bludger in her direction."

"Accident or not, she could have been seriously injured!" Sirius snarled.

Remus lowered his binoculars and quirked an eyebrow. "I thought you liked when the games were violent."

"Well, I just really want to beat Slytherin today," Sirius grumbled, not meeting Remus's skeptical look.

The game picked back up again. Slytherin scored a few minutes later, and then again shortly after that.

"Slytherin ties up the score twenty to twenty, we're seeing quite a change of pace from team Slytherin right now," the announcer boomed. "Gryffindor with the possession, Voronoff passes to Potter– Beater Michael Grant stops a Bludger from getting in the way– as Beaters are supposed to do– Potter swerves right, avoiding Vaughn– it was a trick! Slytherin's Fuller steals the Quaffle– a pass to Wilson– Wilson dodges Cooper– it's Slytherin's Wilson and Fuller against Gryffindor Keeper Scott Fergus– Fergus goes left– Wilson goes right– WILSON SCORES!"

The cheers from the Slytherin section was deafening. Sirius was beginning to feel anxious. If only Marlene had gotten the Snitch before…

"Slytherin Beater Stuart Hughes sends a Bludger towards Gryffindor's Potter– it misses, but the ref has blown the whistle– that's a foul, folks," the anouncer told the crowd.

Boos and jeers were sounded from the Slytherin section in response.

"James is getting a free throw!" Peter cried.

Sirius cheered loudly for James as he flew himself in front of Slytherin's goal posts, getting into position. The whistle was blown and James took off, straight toward Morrison guarding the middle goal. James wound up, went right, and when Morrison followed, he let the Quaffle fly through the middle ring.

"It's a goal!" the announcer sounded, and Gryffindor's section roared.

"'Atta way, Prongs!" Sirius bellowed. Remus gave a loud, shrill whistle and Peter jumped up and down in excitement.

"Let's go, Gryffindor!" a familiar voice shouted over the crowd. Sirius was treated to the sight of Lily Evans reacting with mad excitement to the goal, for once losing her usual proper composure.

"The teams are tied thirty to thirty, a real nail biter of a game we have here today, ladies and gentlemen," the announcer picked up again. "Slytherin Chasers make their way down the pitch– they're met by team Gryffindor– a well-executed defensive play is made by Cooper– Fuller is forced to give the Quaffle to Vaughn– Vaughn avoids Voronoff– that was harder to say than I made it sound, folks…"

The game continued. A goal scored by Slytherin was answered quickly by Gryffindor, scoring mere moments later. It was evident that neither team was giving up.

"And just like that, McKinnon and Black are off again!" the announcer exclaimed.

Sirius snapped his head away from the center of the pitch to find the Seekers both in downward nose dives. They pulled off, now speeding parallel to the ground. Marlene attempted to cut Regulus off, but he evaded the trick and stayed close. She tried again, and again her attempt failed.

They were gaining on the Snitch with equal speed, neither of them losing focus. The Snitch flew up higher again, zipped right, then left, and they followed every move. Even though they were next to each other, Regulus's long arms gave him an advantage. Marlene flattened her body to her broom even further, blonde hair flying behind her. It was just enough. Marlene surpassed Regulus's speed, reached forward, and closed her fingers around the tiny golden object.

The referee blew the whistle just as Gryffindor's section went wild, screaming and cheering.

"Marlene McKinnon catches the Snitch!" the announcer yelled. "Gryffindor wins, one hundred and ninety points to forty!"

It was then that an object hurled through the air and smashed into Marlene's side. An audible gasp ran through the crowd. Everyone watched in horror as she slipped off her broom and went into a free fall. Marlene's body crashed into the earth and she didn't move.

 **A/N: I hope this chapter was as fun for you to read as it was for me to write! Whether it was or wasn't, please tell me in a review! It's so helpful to hear from my readers, and every review is encouraging in some way or another! Next chapter won't be uploaded as fast as this one, but you can probably expect it within a month.**

 **Edit 01/26: I cleaned up a few missed grammatical errors, specifically missed italics. Also, chapter 9 may be published earlier than originally planned!**


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